Automobile number carrier and drop.



G. H. HEWITT, IR. AUTOMOBILE NUMBER CARRIER AND DROP.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 20, 1909.

Patented May 13, 1913 WITNESSES:

ATTHNEYS GEORGE H. HEWITT, JR., 0F JERSEY GITY,\` NW JERSEY.

AUTOMOBILE NUMBER Carman AND peor.

Speoication of Letters Patent.

Patented May 13, 1913.

Application led December 2 0, 1909. Serial No. 534,094.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. Jr., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey Cit-y, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Automobile Number4 Carrier and Drop, of which the following,A is a full, clear, and exact description.

One of the various objects for providing automobiles and other motor vehicles with license numbers, is to facilitate t-he identification of the vehicle in case the latter is involved in an accident or collision; but during the vconfusion following a collision or accident, it often happens that the iniured party or the bystanders neglect to note the license number of the car, or fail to remember it accurately,

'- The ob'ect of my invention is to so support the license number that in case of any ,collisionor accident,"the tag bearing the released from its carrier.

number will be automaticallyreleased from the car and dropped to the ground, so that the injured party or the bystanders may pickup this tag and use it as a means for ascertaining the identity of the car which was involved in the collision or accident. In case the chauffeur or occupants of the car at fault do'not kwish to leave the number behind, it is necessary that the car be brought to a stop and oneY of the occupants thereof must get out and pick up the tag. This involves a suiiicient delay to permit of the arrest or detention of the occupantsof the car, should such be the course thought advisable.

My im roved construction in its preferred form em odies a sup ort or carrier for the tag, and a bumper, ender or trip section, by the movement ofy which the tag may vbe This bumper, fender, or trip is so constructed and so mounted that it will be operated should the car collide with a person or with any object of material size.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter particularly defined in theclaims, and one em.-

bogliment lof v which` isi hereinafter described in detail.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speci- HEWITT,

lthe car, and means whereby with means attached the, yfender or trip; as

two sockets 14, each substantially `tubular `responding front spring of the car. The

of the through the device, taken" in a plane longitudinally of the car; Fig. 3

is a longitudinal section through a portion of the device, showing one means for attaching the same to a car; Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the number tag detail showing the movable socket or receiver for the rod shown in 'Fig'. 4.

My improved device embodies as essential features thereof, a bumper, fender or trip, which is adapted to be moved when the car collides with a person or object in front of the resulting movement of the bumper, fender or tri releases the number tag and permits it to rop.

In the specific form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, I form the bumper or fender of a plurality of transverse rods 10, 11- and 12, each of a length slightly greater than the width of the oar and disosed one above.the other transversely in ront of the car. These rods are connected together by vertical rods 13, 13, and one of the rods, for instance, the rod 11, is provided to some portion of the car, for supporting shown,

in form and each secured to its corsoc et may be secured to the car or vehicle in any suitable manner, but, as shown, the transverse holt I5 of the spring 16, extends through the socket 14 adjacent the front end thereof, and the rear end of the Socket is held b a brace 17, which is attached to one leaves of the s ring. The middle rod or bar -11 of the fonderie provided with T couplings 18, from each of which rod 19 extends rearwardly into its corresponding socket. The plunger rod is mounted to move lengthwise withm the socket and isvrnormally resiliently held in its forward limiting position, sok that in case any obstacle comes in contactwith the fender or trip, it may force the latter rearwardly. Any suitable means may be employed forA cona plunger and the supporting` rod whlch carries the same, and Flg. 5 is a manner, both ofthe levers necting the socket or bracket member 14 and the rod member 19, so that the two may have a telescoping action. As shown, the rod 19 is provided with a transverse slot 20, through which .the bolt 15 extends, so that this bolt serves not only to support the member 14, but also limits the longitudinal movement of the member 19. Within the member 14 is a coil spring 21, normally tending to force the member 19 forwardly. It is important that the fender be so mounted that it may move a limited distance in the event of a collision, but the specific means which I have illustrated for mounting it, is not at all necessary and I do not wish to be limited thereto.

The license number is carried by a tag or plate 22 in the ordinary manner, but this tag instead of being strapped or otherwise fastened directly to the car, is connected in any suitable manner to a rod 23.` This rod has its ends pointed so as to it within recesses or sockets 24 in the depending ends of levers 25. Two of these levers 25 are employed, and they are so mounted that-their socket bearing ends lmay be spread apart so aste release vthe rod 23 and the tag carried by the latter. These levers may be pivoted to any suitable part of the car, but in order to make the device as compact and self-contained as possible, I construct the levers as bell crank levers and pivot them to the lower transverse member 12 of the fender or trip, so thatthe tag will hang suspended below said fender or trip. Suitable mechanism is connected to these levers, so that they will be o erated when the fender is moved relatively to the car. This mechanism as illustrated, includes bell crank levers 26, ivoted to the T couplings the bell crank levers 25 and to the socket members 14 bylinks 2 7 and 28, respectively. As the levers 26 move rearwardly with the fender and the rear ends of the links 28 are secured to the sockets or bracket members 14,

it is evident that the rearward movement of the. fender will cause the bell crank levers 26 to rockand cause the links 27 to plullupwardly and swing the levers 25. T is will spread the lower ends ofthe levers 25 apart and release the rod 23 and the tag 22 carried thereby. By mounting the rod in this 25 may be operated simultaneously in case the entire fender is forced back, or either one ofl the levers 25 may be operated to release/the tag should its corresponding end of the fender or trip be forced rearwardly in a collision.

Any collision in which the car may be involved, will release the number and drop it tothe ground, so .that other persons than the occu ants of the car may secure possession of t e number tag for purposes of later identifying the car, should the chauier refuse to stop after the accident. In case the 18 and connecte to` occupants of the car do wish to secure their number tag, itis necessary that they should stop the car, and this stopping of the car permits the detention of the occupants should they be responsible for the accident. After the occupant of the car secures possession of his number tag, he cannot easily return it to operative position between the levers 25, without the aid of a second party, as it will ordinarily be necessary for one person to force the fender or trip rearwardly, while'a second person places the end of the rod in proper position between the levers 25.

Preferably the T cou adjustable lengthwise o they may different lings 18 are made the rod 11, so that be connected to vehicles having -If desired, the tele.- scoping bracket sections may be provided with locking means to hold them in such position that the tag cannot be replaced without releasing these fasteners. In Fig. 3, I have shown a spring-pressed catch 29, normally pressing against the inner surface of the member and ada ted to pass out through an opening 30 when the parts are telescoped against the action of the spring.

My improved device serves not only to leave evidence behind as to the identity of a car, but a police oicer seeing a car going along the street without its tag, may intercept the car and the occupant may be liable to arrest for driving a car without a license tag.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In combination, an automobile license number tag, a trip, means for supporting said tag'from said trip, and means whereby a movement of the trip releases the tag.

2. An attachment for motor vehicles, comprising a rod, two bell crank levers having sockets for receiving the ends of said rod, an identification tag carried by said rod, and a trip connected to said levers for moving them to inoperative position and dropping said rod and tag. Y

3. In combination with a vehicle, an identification device, arms for retaining said device in position uponthe vehicle, yielding means for h lding said arms in their operative position, and means adapted to be struck by an object in the path of a vehicle for causing said arms to assume their inoperative position whereby the device will be released.

4. In combination with a vehicle, means for engaging an identification device, an identification device adapted to be held in position on the vehicle by said means, said device being adapted to :tall by gravity from its position when said means are removed from engagement therewith, and means y distances between the springs orpoints of attachment.

. device.

5. In combination with a vehicle, a fender yieldingly mounted on the vehicle, oppositely arranged members mounted on the fender to move toward and from each other,

f an identilication tag having means engaged 10 by said members for holding'the safme, and means for operating the said members to move them a art and thereby release the tag when saidender moves rearwardly upon encountering an object.

6. In'combination with a vehicle, a fender yeldingly mounted on the vehicle, oppositely arranged pivoted levers mounted on the fender togswin toward and from each .'other an identification tag having means engage by the said 'levers for holding the same, and means for operating said levers to swing them apart to release the tag when the fender moves rearwardly upon encountering.

anob'ect.

7. combination witha vehicle, a support carried 'by the vehicle,'a fender yieldmgly mounted on the support, a pair of bell crank levers ivoted on the fender, an identification tag aving means engaged b the said levers for holding the tag, a secon pair of bell crank levers mounted on the fender, links connecting the pairs of bell crank levers with each other, and'a link connecting each bell crank lever of the second pairA of bell cranklevers with the support.

8. Incombinatio'n with a vehicle, sockets carried by the vehicle, a fender'having members slidably mounted in the sockets, springs' in the sockets, a pair of bell crank levers piv-j oted on the fender and having sockets inther opposed faces, a rod for carrying an ident-ication tag engaging the sockets of said bell crank levers, a second pair of bell crank levers on the fender, links connecting the pairs vof bell crank levers, and a link connecting each bell crank lever of the second pair of bell crank levers with the first named socket.

9. In combination with a vehicle, a fender yieldingly' mounted on the vehicle, oppositely arranged members mounted on the fender one adaptedv to move toward and from the other, an identification tag having means engaged by said members for holding the same, and means to se arate said mem` bers and thereby release t e tag when said fender moves rearwardly upon encountering an object. v

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specificationl in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE H. HEW1TT,JR. Witnesses i C. W. FAIRBANK, PHILIP D. RoLLHAUs- 

